If you’re looking for the case that is going to protect your iPhone 5 no matter what, then look no further than the Lunatik Taktik Extreme case for iPhone 5. The case promises to deliver weather resistance, dust resistance, and shock resistance all in one.

The Lunatik Taktik Extreme is a tank, and we say this because it’s a pretty large and protective case made for those that really take their iPhones with them to dangerous places. We would compare it to an Otterbox, but we have a feeling it’s even more protective than that. The Lunatik Taktik Extreme fights off water and dust by providing port plugs that keep things from being able to enter the device from its most vulnerable points.

The headphone jack is opened and closed with a metal hinge that has a plug on the end. Because the interior of the case is a thick piece of ballistic material, the metal plug pops right into place and makes an air-tight seal. The Lightning connector plug is a rubber plug that does basically the same thing. You will also notice that there are no speaker grilles at the bottom, as the case directs all sound toward the front of the device with the two sound holes at the bottom of the front of the case:

Your screen is safe from scratches, because the Lunatik Taktik Extreme adds a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass to the display. Because of the case’s dust-resistant design, you won’t get dust in between the Gorilla Glass and the iPhone screen – we tried! The seal is just so good, you won't have to worry about that. In addition, the glass doesn't affect your ability to accurately use the iPhone 5 touch screen – you'll hardly know it's there.

The case includes a minimalistic, triangular lanyard loop at the bottom left so you can throw a lanyard on your iPhone and carry it like you might with a digital camera so that you can avoid dropping it:

Notably, the case covers all buttons on the device for maximum protection. The Ringer/Silent switch is also covered, offering a button that you can press one way or the other to toggle the switch. At the top of the case, your front-facing camera is easily seen through the Corning Gorilla Glass, as well as the proximity sensor. The front-facing speaker is one of the few parts of the iPhone that is exposed to the elements in the Lunatik Taktik Extreme, as this is necessary for being able to hear your phone calls.

The Lunatik logo is seen at the top right of the case:

The rear of the device is very well shielded from impact, scratches, and most other forms of iPhone terror. The entire backing of the case (apart from the exo-shell) is ballistic material, so it feels super grippy in your hand. The rear-facing camera, microphone, and LED flash are all exposed to the elements; however, the case hugs them so tightly as not to allow unwanted materials from getting in there and scuffing the back of your iPhone. The tight hugging does not affect your photography at all:

Below is the case disassembled. There are multiple parts to the case, including a front shell, rear shell, headphone jack cover, and ballistic base, which includes a 9mm patent-pending truss for absorbing impact. The ballistic material is thick and squishy – ballistic material is one of the best for shock and drop protection. The case is assembled with six screws (a spare is included) – the case comes with all the tools needed for putting the case together.

There are some shortcomings to the case, such as the massiveness, screws, and accessibility. The size of the case sometimes makes it hard to place in the cup holder of your car or uncomfortable to keep in your pocket, the screws (although there is a spare) could get lost if not taken care of, and the accessibility is limited because of the size of the holes for the ports, which can limit your options for third party headphones or chargers. It could also be considered an accessibility issue that you really have to take your time to remove and/or install the case each time because of the screws – for those that don't see the need to remove their case all the time, this won't be an issue.

All in all, I’m content with the quality of the materials used in the Lunatik Taktik Extreme case. There are no rough edges on the case, it feels extremely solid and sturdy, and I never feel like I’m going to damage my iPhone as long as it’s contained in the case. The main points I like the most about the case are the Corning Gorilla Glass screen protection, the sturdy ballistic iPhone housing, and the water resistance.

You can check out all of the layers of the case in detail below:

Lunatik’s Taktik Extreme case is available for both iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S. It comes in two color choices – black with black ballistic material and the red headphone jack trim (shown in this review), or white with black ballistic material and an orange headphone jack trim. The case retails for $124.95 and you can pick one up from Lunatik's Web site.

Because the case feels solid and it’s made from high quality materials, we definitely recommend it. We are rating the case at 5 out of 5 leaves:

i personally own the first run of this case for the 4/4s, and mine isn't actually that good, moisture forms in between the glass and screen, dust and hair gets between the glass and screen, and the proximity sensor does not function with the case on. they might have improved the case but for me, it was not worth $100 to kickstart. just my experience

I got this the day it came out for the iPhone 5. Definetly the best case I've ever had. So much protection with a great design. My proximity sensor works fine with it on and I do not get any moisture or dust between the screen and gorilla glass

For that money, it needs to have at least have an IPX8 rating! Ridiculous that it's just a case, hard to put on and take off, not water proof and no extra battery. Gorilla glass is a nice touch though.